How can we make it easier to make sure everyone gets some feedback?

With this call to arms in mind regarding commenting on music posts, I wonder if we can make it harder for posts to slip through the net?

It's sad when people don't get any responses.

Like chococat said in the above thread, I tend to have short, very active spurts on MeFiMu, and I try and go for the un-commented tracks to make sure no-one gets left out, but if other people see this as important too, could this be easier to do?

Suggestions (not in order of feasibility :) )

- create a new tag (like "resolved" in AskMeFi), something like "NoFeedback" which posters can add after a week or so if they've not had any replies yet and are keen to get some

- have a tab which collates the posts with no replies (a bit like the Popular Favourites tab in Ask only with the opposite purpose), you can list for today, this week, this month etc.

- something cleverer than both of these which I haven't thought of because I don't have any chocolate right now.

posted by greenish (15 comments total)

The only thing that is going to mean more feedback is for everyone who reads Music to actually comment more.

Generally speaking, the stuff that's posted here is finished, at least in the mind of the artist, so what's there to say?

"I like it" is fine. "I don't like it for x reason" might be okay, "This is crap" doesn't seem particularly encouraging, unless there's an explanation, and even then, I don't think most people post here looking for critique.

I think if people want critique, they should say so specifically in the post. Otherwise I'm going to assume they consider it mostly done, and me saying "I would bring the drums down and the vocals up, like, a lot" is not particularly helpful. If I like a song, I generally say so, although I don't have time to listen to all the tracks.
posted by dubold at 9:40 AM on February 21

I've used the criticismwelcome tag in the past, but I think most people here know I like it.

feedbackwelcome or seekingfeedback is probably a bit better.

The other solution (apart from people commenting more) is to get more people to visit Music. I've kind of given up campaigning for higher visibility as nothing ever seems to happen, but I think it's a shame as when people are reminded of the existence of this subsite they always seem to enjoy it.

I think using a tag like that would probably make me feel better about commenting on certain tracks.

Presumably a player could be coded up for the right hand side to collate recent posts which were seeking feedback.
posted by unSane at 12:32 PM on February 21

i got one of these - sometimes reverb and delays can get me lots of feedback, too

oh, wait ... never mind
posted by pyramid termite at 2:25 PM on February 21 [2 favorites]

My bad - I assumed everyone posting stuff was doing so to get feedback on it, in some way or another. If that's not the case, please feel free to ignore this post.
posted by greenish at 3:21 PM on February 21

I assumed everyone posting stuff was doing so to get feedback on it, in some way or another.

That's probably true. I was referring specifically to criticism, constructive or otherwise. I think most people DO want positive feedback on their work. The question for me is "what else is there to say?" and is there a good way for people to indicate if they're looking for specific commentary apart from "I like it"?
posted by dubold at 12:49 AM on February 22

Also, greenish, I just checked out the stuff you've posted - please post more! I like the choir stuff a lot.
posted by dubold at 1:40 AM on February 22

We periodically get these very well-meaning calls to arms, but.......nowt happens chaps. Since 2009 I've made one or two friends on here and when I upload stuff (or listen) it's basically to get their feedback or to comment on their stuff. I'm good with that. I know that's not what we all want really and it would be nice to have a big, warm, utopian community, but I'm afraid that's the reality so far as my experience goes.

The administrators appear to have no interest in making changes. Most of the popular stuff on here is self-referential "novelty" music about Metafilter or the people that run it or computery stuff or whatever. So....you can't really treat it as a serious music site (I know I don't). Best way to get feedback is to upload to a variety of sites and not see MeFiMu as any kind of big deal.
posted by Hoops McCann at 5:40 AM on February 22

I kind of bailed out of MefiMu about a year and a half ago solely for personal reasons (lack of personal time), but before that, for me anyway, this place was kinda like a local music scene. Very personal and very cool. I got turned on to new music daily, it was exciting, I commented in the same way I would as if I was actually checking out my local scene...giving props, seldom a little critique cuz wtf do I know anyway.

Here in Music we have musicians from around the world and I'd bet anything that the one thing we could all agree on is that any local scene thrives on three things: a lot of back slapping, a lot of encouragement and a hell of a lot of personal investment. Time. Care. Feedback.

I've been an on and off money makin' musician since (I think 1983/4), and aside from actually being on stage, the most fun and the most learning and mentoring I've had has been right here.

To quote the late and great D. Boone, "It's what you make it, man."
posted by snsranch at 5:36 PM on February 22 [2 favorites]

Here in Music we have musicians from around the world and I'd bet anything that the one thing we could all agree on is that any local scene thrives on three things: a lot of back slapping, a lot of encouragement and a hell of a lot of personal investment. Time. Care. Feedback.

Fuck, yeah, that's very true. The back slapping thing is phenomenally important, plus just enough grit to make it meaningful.
posted by unSane at 5:57 PM on February 22

Yeah, it's not the hottest music place on the web but it is *by far* my favorite. I like it when I get constructive feedback, and I like the back slappin' too. Sometimes I wish we could all meetup somehow and just have an epic jam session for a couple a days. That would be something special.

That being said I always tell myself I'm going to try harder to comment and spend more time on other folks' songs, but often fail to execute. I'll keep trying and hopefully we can draw in some more people, too.
posted by Doleful Creature at 10:23 PM on February 23

Sometimes I wish we could all meetup somehow and just have an epic jam session for a couple a days.

Yeah, that.

We are having an outdoor music fest at my place around Canada Day this year and we have lots open slots, so everybody's invited! Lots of room at the inn. I'm serious.
posted by unSane at 4:16 PM on February 24

It always makes me more happy than it should to receive any response to the music I put here. Sometimes I remember to put 'criticism welcome', sometimes I don't. Personally I wouldn't mind a section around 'most favorited' etc. that features songs with no comments, but yeah, nothing is going to spread the responses around fairly. There are enough people here to make it a meaningful community, though, and if you contribute consistently and aren't only looking for a place to upload mp3s, you'll get a response.
posted by Corduroy at 5:14 AM on February 25

Yeah, my problem is that I feel lame just saying "Hey, I like it" but often don't know enough about a genre or a track to provide anything more insightful.

For my part, I post stuff because it's the closest I can get to making a finished "thing" and showing it to my internet friends - because my day job involves working with software that is endlessly evolving, constantly being tweaked, and never really "done," I get a lot of satisfaction by being able to make a thing, point at it and say, "There! It may not be perfect but I made it, and it's done!" And the backslapping is always good too.

If I can make it to MetaFilterville whenever and wherever it's held, I want to bring at least one instrument. I suppose much depends on mode of transport.
posted by usonian at 7:10 PM on February 27

This place is basically my first experience of being a musician and sharing music and stuff, and it was really a letdown to me at first to spend hours and hours and days and days and something and then upload it here and . . . get almost no response, or no response at all. And for real, I can't even say how grateful I am to everyone who commented on something of mine. However, I think the thing I've learned about sharing creative work that feels really powerful to me right now is this:

People might not like what you're doing or even notice it. But keep doing it anyway.

And I am kinda rolling with that attitude. Now I can do whatever weird thing that interests me. If I'm doing something just to impress the Internet, I'll probably be disappointed, right?

Like, this is probably my favorite thing I've done, and nobody commented on it at all, and it has no favorites. And for all I know no one even listened to it. Whatever, Internet. I ain't quittin'.
posted by chrchr at 5:35 PM on February 28

Like, this is probably my favorite thing I've done, and nobody commented on it at all, and it has no favorites. And for all I know no one even listened to it. Whatever, Internet. I ain't quittin'.

Good on ya chrchr. If it's any comfort, I've had tracks on here (under another name) that got zip response but on another website 250+ downloads (and still going strong). It's a total lottery. So - yup - keep going and don't get disheartened.

Main thing though is that when you do get a "hit" - don't try to chase it or come up with something else that you think will tap that vein. I've no idea really why people like some things and not others. Not my problem - I just make the stuff.....
posted by Hoops McCann at 12:14 PM on March 1